#(could literally be a 20yo dude)

[clouds-of-wings]

So many bands I listen to are switching to AI images for their promo material and it's obviously heartbreaking for me, but I've been trying to see it from their perspective. At least when it's small bands. I'm not making any excuses for Napalm's or Within Temptation's AI videos. They have the money and are screwing visual artists over out of greed or ignorance. But when it's a small independent band with a couple hundred followers?

"My band doesn't have enough money to hire a human artist for promo materials, so we use AI" is like the band version of "I don't have enough money to buy CDs, so I torrent music". Both are driven by capitalism-induced scarcity. Both are ethically questionable (*insert more nuanced take here*) ways to get something you don't really need, but want for yourself. But one is legal (hint: it's the one that makes giant (tech) corporations money) and one can get you a fine, even jail time in some countries (hint: it's the one that giant (entertainment) corporations think keeps them from getting money they would have liked to receive).

For a small band, the alternative to AI usually isn't "hiring a real artist", it's either "using a public domain picture" (better for me, not always fitting for them) or "not having visual promo materials except maybe an album cover and one video per album" (better for me, worse for them). Unless they have a friend who does it for free. Another parallel to torrenting. Usually when someone torrents, the alternative wouldn't have been buying the media, it would have been not consuming it. Because if it's not in your budget, it's not in your budget.

This isn't really a happy thought or an excuse... the conclusion is more or less that if you don't torrent then you're a sucker, because the artists you're trying to be honourable towards will screw others over for their benefit as soon as they have the chance too, so really what's the point in being the only one who plays by the rules?

I thought about this and remembered how this one musician I follow once said that especially in Latin America fans often bring burned CDs of his albums to meet-and-greets and he signs those too because he knows the legal CDs are much more expensive for a fan there than in Europe. I found it astounding that someone would have the cheek to show a band their own album as an illegal burned CD (I wouldn't even have done that in 2004), and kinda admired how understanding he was about the matter. Meet-and-greets are also not always at the concert venue, so you could get a judgement-free signature on a burned CD without buying a ticket.

...of course they're still his fans and the CD still has the band name on it, so the analogy is far from perfect. Image generation AI in its currently dominant form screws artists over worse than torrenting, I'm not arguing against that. The point is that I judge big bands and labels more for using AI than small bands.

"But they should just hire a cheaper artist or buy a stock photo!" Yes! They should! They absolutely should! Especially since artists, just like all creative freelancers, usually get their first jobs by doing cheap work for people with a limited budget. But can I demand it..? Is it the standard I hold other people to - or myself?

It just always comes back to the systemic issue - how almost no one doing creative work has a big enough budget and the artificial scarcity imposed by capitalism is pitting us against each other.

[onlysushicat]

Wanted to add the thought I had while I drew this the other day

I imagine the scenario being like them both playing a game and Karkat talks about getting intimate/talk about their bodies(I suck SO MUCH at writing but I did my best) but yeah, nsfw under the cut :3 dudes be looking at each others stuff under their pants

Both of them would be around 19 or 20yo, started dating years after the game ended if we imagine all this connected to the comic etcetcetc. If not then this could work in any AU where trolls and humans live together idc

.

K: You know we've been dating for almost a year now

D: yes, still amazed about it

K: Like, we kiss sometimes and sleep in your bed after we spend the whole day together

D: what about it?

K: ..no its nothing, keep playing

D: dude if youre trying to highlight something this way, youre doing it wrong cause im not understanding you

.

Awkward moment, then Dave suggets that maaaybe they are thinking the same thing but he preferred to avoid the topic and wait until Karkat was ready to discuss it. Karkat focuses on the game and doesn't talk back, then Dave starts

.

D: its not necessary i mean, its ok if it never happens youknow. i dont mind livin a life without wetting the biscuit, looking at gods face, putting the plug into the socket

K: Shut up for fucks sake, Im curious because there is not a single book or movie about humans naked bodies in this lame ass world and I actually want to enjoy a new private activity with my boyfriend [he accepted the boyfriend title because matesprite would mean he puts Dave in a quarter of relationships yadda yadda you know the usual] , unlike YOU who seems uninterested in it avoiding as if touching me would give you a deathly illness. At least I would enjoy talking about our own bodies but not even that happens

D: what the FUCK was that about, im not a mind reader how did you expect me to know u wanted this with me now

D: and i did imagine what you look like but im no pervert man i wouldnt ask about your body just because i thought about it sometimes

.

After some small discussion things calm down, Dave suggets playing a game and whoever wins gets to show his parts first to the other. Winner provides some information before showing to avoid weird questions. Karkat almost rejects the idea but accepts because its the best option at the moment and Dave seems actually interested.

Dave gets distracted while imagining a bunch of gay shit and loses, maybe a racing game??? Idk, but anyway Karkat won. Curses in a whisper and goes to sit on the bed while Dave watches him in silence while following him slowly, sitting in front of him.

They are face to face, none of them talking, Karkat tries to explain to Dave what to expect but hes way too nervous and uncomfortable now that they made a whole mood just for the "reveal". To try and relax him Dave says they could make out as usual.

.

K: Thats just an excuse to kiss me, right?

D: maybe but it could also work

K: I guess, in the movies the main couple always start with a kiss session before the scene gets intimate and people start to show more than I agreed to watch

.

They get to the kisses smooches etc, shades come off, kisses become bites, and then the "reveal" start to happen. Karkat explains a little bit of what Dave is seeing, him ending up with his eyes staring like his life depends on it. Dude got lost in the junk

.

K: Stop with that stare

D:

K: Dave

D: what, what did i do

K: Youre staring too much

D: Karkat you got an entire museum of art there and i feel i could get every answer in the universe if i keep staring

K: Cant you get serious for once, Im literally showing you my genitals for the first time

D: what did you expect? you want me to touch it right away?

K: wha

D: what

K: DONT touch it right know its very sensitive, and if you really want to do it at least wait until my bulge gets out

D: your what

K: you dont know what a bulge is, dipshit?

D: how the fuck would i know, youre an alien dude

K: then what do you have down there?

D: oh you sound so desperate now you should listen to yourself

K: FUCK OFF IM CLOSING MY LEGS NOW

D: I WAS KIDDING, DONT BLUE BALL ME NOW

D: fine ill show you but dont laugh, right now is not at his full size and extent. not at his prime you know

K: it grows? Like, a plant?

D: just dont laugh thats all i ask for

.

Thats all I got for now because I dont think they would have sex right away. Maybe the 2nd time it happens lol

Dave's reveal of his dick I can write some other day if you actually think my writing is ACCEPTABLE/OKAY/FINE FOR A FIRST TIME NSFW WRITER

Ps: Im not a good writer at Dave and Karkats chatting because to me they write/talk like common dudes with a little bit of shortened words, some long ass sentenses and insults from time to time

BE NICE 👉👈

[slutforwings]

monthly book recap! yes this is a thing now

miss wyoming - douglas coupland (fiction)

a has-been celebrity woman who faked her death after being the sole survivor of a plane crash, and a flopping director who erased himself from the grid, meet. this book is about the before and after. remember me saying i either give high or low ratings? well we found a middler! it didnt feel extremely cohesive, and not even a month later i could not tell you the plot. it did have some good 'lessons' in it, yknow? a fun thought exercise. but meh overall. 3/5

leave the world behind - rumaan alam (unsettling fiction)

white middle-class family goes on vacation in an airbnb thats pretty isolated. a few days in, a black couple turns up, claiming theyre the owners and that theres a blackout in the city and they dont feel safe there. wifi and tv are down. now what. eerie book with themes of race, trust, family and the horror of possibility. i really liked the writing style and the way it switched povs, the descriptions being colored by the person who's head we were in. you do have to deal with the parents being uncomfortably horny. and the other characters too tbh. 4,5/5

we were liars - e. lockhart (ya)

girl in insanely rich family has amnesia, cant forget what happened the last time she went on a family vacation (on the family island) like she did every year. nobody wants to tell her. but this year it's another family vacation on the family island. get ready for rich people being sad. although they do nuance it a bit. dgmw, it was a very fun read, also a fast read, i just absolutely hated the ending. i can't say more because i don't wanna spoil it but. yeah. i did feel it was worth it though! 4/5

the goodness paradox - richard wrangham (non-fiction anthropology)

how evolution made us both more and less violent. cool theories for it, i especially liked the self-domestication theory. i read humankind by rutger bregman, this is a pretty good companion to it that offers some different, some same views. humankind was more accessible to non-scientists though. pretty interesting, nuanced takes, i liked the first half better but that doesn't mean the second half was bad. 4,25/5

things to do before the end of the world - emily barr (ya)

the world's ending in like 6 months, what does a +-16yo thats shyness incarnate do in that time? go on an adventure with her cousin she didnt know existed and seems lowkey shady of course. i. need to look up the age of the mc before buying a book. because goddamn its not as enjoyable to be reading about high schoolers as a 20yo. this is another middler btw, it wasnt ultra bad but it also wasn't really good. it strung me along by keeping me in the dark but then the revelation felt kinda. meh. idk. i was not really a fan. 2,5/5

piranesi - susanna clarke (fantasy)

Piranesi lives in the House. the Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite. there is only Piranesi, the Dead and the Other. until one day he finds messages from someone else. nothing i can say will do this book justice. i bought it purely based on the cover and the vague ass blurb on the back and BOY am i glad i did. its like. impossible to not fall in love with the imagery of this book. just. the vibes dude! the vibes! i normally hate reviews like these but literally: trust me. read this book. its just magical. you WILL get homesick for the House. fucking chef's kiss 5/5

btw, if you end up reading any of these, do lemme know what you thought! or if youve already read them and wanna share your thots :D

[saint-patrice]

fuck! yes! you have come to the right place, because ‘loving braden holtby’ may as well be on my resumé at this point

see here for other posts like this one! i am also taking requests for ‘em :)

(gif via @leonsdraisaitl) is holtby the most handsome man in the nhl? yes. is holtby also the most handsome man alive, and quite possibly to ever exist? also yes. but you didn’t need me to tell you that

he has an uncanny ability to pull off just about whatever he wears, admittedly because what he usually wears is very very good, but he even looks good in this travesty of an outfit. he truly has the range

but as many may know, he is more than just a pretty face and an extremely talented goalie! he is one of the most vocal supporters of lgbtq+ rights in the nhl, regularly attending pride parades, supporting You Can Play and other initiatives, and making generally good decisions. he does washington proud, and i love him

conspiracy: holts doesn’t want to waste time washing his hair at home, because that means he would have less time to practice wonderwall on his guitar, so he just takes a moment before games to rinse off those luscious locks instead

this is him and his wife brandi, who is just as amazing. my only question is how ??? are they both????? so beautiful???????? i’m struggling

summer 2018 really revealed a side of braden that i don’t think anyone expected to see. how can this man, with his well-fitting suits and presumed affinity for craft beers, turn into a completely feral fratboy at the drop of a hat?? who knows, but it sure was an era

(gif via @glovesdropped) so is this like…legal, or?? because he’s kind of killing me

in which holts is crying while the ECF photo is being taken, and all of his teammates rush to provide a comforting touch. gets me every time :’)

(gif via @pavszacha) how!!!! does he actually look like that!!!!! oh my god

his excellent scowling skills are on display here, but i would like to direct your attention towards his hand, where has a ring tattooed on his 4th finger, bc he isn’t able to wear an actual wedding ring while he’s playing. and if that does not melt your heart even a tiny bit, i do not know what will

(gif via @holtbyism) fucking [R E D A C T E D]

this has a lot of ‘could definitely be from a painting’ vibes. i think i remember reading somewhere that he doesn’t think he shows much emotion of his face during games but like… he is so wrong. holtby, my babe, you are nothing short of an open book 

(gif via @backiesand8) the pure joy on his perfect face!! i don’t know who told him that pocket square went with the suit but who cares! he looks so happy and that’s all that matters!!!!! also, i genuinely love his hats so much, he looks excellent in them and i appreciate the level of Actual Personality they bring

mostly just including this because everyone should read this article. it’s baffling from start to finish but i love it

(gif via @off-icesituation) big angry owl, but make it sexy

the braden holtby + carter hart saga is my favourite thing ever… they’re both So Good. and the mental image of holts telling this 20yo kid that he was gonna kick his ass is just immeasurably funny

😚😚😚😚😚

it’s okay nicke, we’ve all dreamt about it once or twice. no shame there

i find it fundamentally unfair that braden holtby gets to look the way he does, be as skilled as he is, and be a wonderful person, whilst also having eyelashes like that… save some for the rest of us, dude

( gif via @naivelystan) voting is now open: which sort of hop-prone creature was braden in a past life? personally, i’m going for a hare

holtby is underappreciated, but not because the caps don’t actually love him enough, but simply as a result of it being impossible to appreciate him too much. but yeah, kuzy is right. that whole team of dumbasses really owe him one

(via @tjoshbabe) he is simply Iconic. i also want to take this opportunity to inform you that he has 2 pet tortoises, one of whom is named honey. i feel like that’s an important fact about him

a) he is so valid b) i can’t see him with his stick without hearing him talking about his “big giant knob” and it’s honestly a problem

(gif via @bulletproofwhale) i love glowery, angry holtby as much as the next person but his lil smile is just next-level 💖 and can we all just take a minute out of our day to appreciate the true masterpiece that is the eyebrows?? they’re beautiful and i am, once again, bitterly jealous

everyone deserves someone who looks at them the way holts looks at tj

and world’s most casual goaltender award goes to……

(gif via @chaospitals) it is important to note that he is in conversation with god At All Times, and will frequently glare skyward during games, which is a sight not to be missed

you can literally tell by the way his face is scrunched up that he is Preparing To Glower

(gif via @elcomienzopinguino) oh. oh lord. i need to sit down in a dark room for a long minute. too handsome, go home (pls don’t we need you)

long story short - braden holtby is a good canadian boy with a mostly-impeccable fashion sense, a perfect face, an uncanny talent for goaltending, and more brain cells than most hockey players combined. and i think everyone should love him, even just a little bit

[nenehyuuchiha]

Holly shit I remember starting reading yaoi (today you guys call BL, back in my time I just know by yaoi) and the majority of the translated ones I could find was 80's yaoi and they look exactly like this. Not even kidding, one of the first I watched was okane ga nai, I was 12/13 (definitely not old enough to watch, but kids with internet, yk) and the "uke" (bottom, but again, I just knew these therms) looked like a fucking kid with malnutrition, while the seme (top) was HUGE, he looked like a fuckin titan, AND THE HANDS, DUDE, if you Google "yaoi hands" you will get what I mean.

My 20yo self could never watch or read something like this, it looks like pedophilia, but my 12 that literally didn't know what words like this and "masturbation" means and literally thought that one of the mysteries of the universe were how humans reproduce, cause, if the egg is in the female body and the other gameta was in the male body, how the hell they find each other (I thought it was like Bluetooth, for years, I knew the biology part, the practical part was a mystery)?!

So I didn't notice how weird it was.

I miss my innocence.

this how yall be drawing jotaro and kakyoin

[janiedean]

Idk if you've read or seen Call me by your name, but you probably know about the discourse around the age difference between the protags so I was wondering what are your thoughts on it?

I haven’t seen it yet though I know the discourse and like honestly

it shouldn’t even be a discourse. in italy the consent limit is the following: if you’re younger than thirteen you can’t consent to sexual acts, if you’re thirteen you can with people younger than 18, if you’re fourteen onwards you can consent to any sexual acts unless it’s with someone you’re related to, your adoptive parents, someone like your mother’s or father’s new partner and people in positions of power over you in that sense, and from sixteen onwards you can consent even to that (obviously if they’re not blood-related to you) unless the other person is doing it in a power exchange thing and forces you to. like, in theory if I was seventeen and was banging idk my mother’s boyfriend and we both consented to it it would be consensual according to the law. period. the only case in which someone could be jailed for banging someone older than fourteen according to the law is if there’s prostitution involved - ie it’s illegal to have sex with underage people for money or by paying them someway, not if it’s freely given.

therefore a seventeen year-old and a 24-yo who don’t know each other, aren’t related and have a nice summer fling is absolutely okay within italian law and since that movie is, hm, SET IN ITALY, that’s the rules you’re going with.

also, a seventeen year-old in the US can drive, can almost vote and can almost enlist in the army, and as a pal of mine on here says, are you telling me enlisting in the army is okay but riding armie hammer is not? because honest banging armie hammer is a lot less mentally scarring than going to war.

seventeen-year-olds are almost adults. they aren’t children. they can consent to sex, both heterosexual and not, and if they aren’t forced it’s entirely fine.

pedophilia is being attracted to prepubescent children. seventeen year-olds are in no way shape or form prepubescent children.

if someone had come to me when I was seventeen and told me I couldn’t have sex of my own choice and volition with someone older than twenty I’d have clocked them in the face.

if someone had come to me when I was seventeen and told me I was a *literal child* I’d have clocked them in the face and the nether regions because like hell I’d have taken it as a compliment.

teenagers/late teens are not children. they have sexual urges. they have a libido. they can and should have sex if they want to.

having a summer fling with a guy seven years older than you which isn’t even that large an age gap in order to explore your sexuality is perfectly fine as long as the other dude isn’t exploiting you, and from what I know that’s really not the case.

this discourse is like so american-centric in its ridiculous assumption that age gaps are an inherently bad thing that it makes me want to laugh until tomorrow.

this discourse is also so puritan (OMG SEX IS BAD IF YOU’RE UNDERAGE AND YOU HAVE IT! WE CAN’T ACCEPT SEX IN BETWEEN TWO GUYS ESPECIALLY IF THERE’S AN AGE GAP!! as if people weren’t in age gape relationships all the time) that it makes me want to hurl instead.

in conclusion: it’s fucking ridiculous and it needs to burn, and also people complaining about it haven’t ever seen an lgbt movie pre-2010 because age gaps in lgbt movies are like a common trope and from what I know it’s entirely normal that in order to find out about your sexuality if you’re not heterosexual you might end up getting coached by someone older than you when you start dating. this of course is also because given that lgbt people have less resources to count on and so on they are more likely to end up dating people older than them belonging to the same group who have gone through that already, but this is... like.... normal and it’s not pedophilia or anything of the kind. obviously certain specific situations can be sketchy (I mean, a 50yo with a 20yo can absolutely be such even if it’s not a given) but you have to see them one by one and it’s not, like, something wrong in itself.

actually, no. the real conclusion:

never mind my add-on that fucks up trump’s name, look at *età* which is age. trump is 71 years old. melania is *47* years old for a whopping age difference of twenty-four years. if trump and melania can have twenty-four years of difference then TWO FICTIONAL CHARACTERS WHO HAVE *SEVEN* CAN, YOU KNOW, HAVE FUN WITH EACH OTHER and have a nice time together in a *fling* ie sex without strings attached just to have fun because sex is also fun and it’s not just about having kids or whatever.

because, newsflash for everyone, there’s nothing bad about having sex with someone when it’s consensual on both parts and neither side is breaking the law by having it.

I mean.

[thisbrilliantsky]

Choose: Eugene Roe or Albert Ball.

valia why are u doing this to me

there’s a part of me that wants to choose albert ball just bc he died at 20yo and roe lived to be an old man with grandkids and land in the bayou…….but i mean

eugene roe: 22yo field medic who risked his life continuously to save others, surviving d-day and holland and bastogne, did not hesitate to tell off ranking officers if they endangered themselves or their men (this is true, not just in the tv series….once he told someone to help him run out into the battle to carry someone back and the guy started to take his gun with him and roe was like HOLD UP. PUT THAT DOWN and the guy was like “but??? we’re running out into a battle my dude??” and roe was like YEAH BUT RN YOU ARE A MEDIC DO YOU WANT TO BE SHOT YOU IDIOT?? NOW SHUT IT, DROP THAT THING, AND COME WITH ME) and like!!! particularly in bastogne when they were surrounded and didnt have winter gear and were losing more men to frostbite and “trenchfoot” than to anything else he did his best to take care of everyone and im alsgkhl;g;jkh

but then there’s albert ball: 19yo pilot/mechanic, a brilliant young man who could have been an engineer but instead got caught up in the war, and did his best and was called a hero but secretly hated it so much………just wanted to play his violin and work in his garden……..didn’t want to hurt anyone………another needless casualty of the great war…….literally since his buddies saw his plane go down and he definitely could have survived if the british had given their pilots parachutes……….

this is hard bc to me roe was a hero but albert ball was a brilliant kid who got killed bc of incompetent higher ups…………….

OK OK if i’m going by personal significance, i gotta choose albert ;-;

[jiggyloveshockey]

So, Auston Matthews...

Couple of things, because my tumblr is exploding with rage over that Auston Matthews quote:

- Auston Matthews is 20 years old and a POC player in the NHL. Some people might forget he is a POC player, because unlike PK Subban or Darnell Nurse he can actually pass for a white dude. Guess who never forgets that Auston Matthews is Latino? Auston Matthews! The dude plays in a predominantly white sport and you can bet your ass that he has just tried to fit in and be acknowledged for his hockey skills for the past 15 years. Not ideal? Most definitely. Still understandable? Most definitely!

- The guy is a 20yo professional athlete. He probably knows fuck-all about politics. If somebody had given him a truth serum and put a mic under his nose, his honest answer would have been something like “People, I have no motherfucking idea when it comes to politics! Can we please talk about hockey now?”

- There was literally nothing he could have answered that wouldn’t have offended somebody at this point. We all (and I include myself in this!) have had a rough 24 hours of rage and “Why the fuck do I love a sport that is so motherfucking backwards sometimes?” moments. Look at his interview again. He never utters his personal political leanings. He just says that he wouldn’t kneel, which I find understandable. Because if you’re a kid that tried to never stick out with his ethnic background, you probably don’t want to shine a fucking spotlight at it and be the first guy in the NHL to kneel on the fucking ice. Lou Lamoriello would probably have an aneurysm.

- We all know and love hockey. We know that this sport has a tendency to go all “the team comes first”, “we do things together”, “nobody is allowed to stick out” sometimes. That’s why there are so few hockey players who seriously stick out. Who have a big personality and make themselves into a brand. PK Subban does, and look at all of the fucking bullshit he has to endure. You think a shy kid from Arizona, who officially hates being the center of attention has the balls to be that? Think again.

- And lastly: Isn’t it kinda telling that the only two POC players on the Leafs roster were the only ones having to answer questions about taking the knee today? Why are they the only ones we expect answers from? 

I am not saying that “He’s a puppy, so he’s excused!”. I am saying: There’s a difference between being all of our liberal-revolutionary-hockey-dream-boy™ and being a straight up Trump supporter. I don’t think Auston Matthews is either.

Now take a funny Leslie Knopw GIF, to calm us all down:

Disclaimer: I am a cisgender, straight, jewish white woman from Germany who grew up with academic parents and never had to worry about food or a safe place to sleep. I am very privileged and I know this. I would never dare to assume that I know what it means to be racially profiled or in danger simply because I was at the wrong place at the wrong time and looked not-white. I don’t really get that whole thing about fetishizing your flag or your military, because the last time my country did that, all hell broke loose. But I try to understand and I try to hold people accountable for their words without bashing their heads in for maybe speaking unwisely. It’s a thin line to tread. Beer usually helps. 

[gurguliare]

If you're still in the mood, and if you haven't done him already, could you do túrin? Or Barahir, if you've already done Túrin/ if you'd rather!

HM okay I’ll do Barahir because I’m not sure I have the wherewithal for Turin at the moment

1-3 things I enjoy about them

Second son untimely promoted

I think literally every day about the lost tales version where he’s named Aegnor

idk sometimes I forget that “stay and defend a nuclear waste zone” was not actually Beren’s idea bc he took it to SUCH A DELIGHTFUL, LOGICAL EXTREME but Barahir is a fun dude, I like how he entrusted his preternaturally quiet 20yo son with key spying missions

Something interesting about them based on tenuous circumstantial evidence

idk I love that we get Barahir’s whole… compressed leadership arc in the background of, well, the ruin of Beleriand and the fall of Fingolfin; to me it’s one of the most cinematic uses of the interleaved relative timescales in the Silm, where it’s simultaneously like, one long, miserable battle, fluidly falling out from the eruption, the evacuations, etc., and also: Barahir inherits. Barahir receives Finrod’s oath. Barahir takes up the lordship of his house and almost simultaneously directs his people into exile, while resolving himself to remain. He recruits where he can. Fingolfin dies dueling Morgoth in a thunderous, operatic play-by-play, and the thing we come right back to is Barahir scrounging for some decisions in the newly-minted Forest under Nightshade. His band dwindles, his people escape, and if he half-expected reinforcements and a turn in the tide of the war, some kind of repayment for his incredibly additive sacrifices to date, then instead he gets the exact opposite of that—this unbelievable encroaching poison. It’s a lifetime in a couple of years, or at least a reign. This isn’t, like, an observation based on circumstantial evidence, I guess I should have put it under things I enjoy, but like, Barahir is not—Barahir is one character for whom the events of that chapter aren’t simply or manifestly hopeless, Barahir is like…. making tough calls while under the impression that there’s a future to plan against, and that’s interesting. It’s like having someone else’s version of the Darkening of Valinor happen in the background of Dagor Bragollach; for the Beorians, this is a kind of a first instantiating cataclysm of their lives in the west, obviously there was the terrible journey but (as with the Amanyar) I think that’s sort of faded out of immediate-immediate memory at this point, right, and besides was premised on the idea that this was going to be better, or at least different. So then darkness, fire, refuge, flight, and finally the bitter realization of the sheer extent of their betrayal, how utterly they’ve been failed by the land itself, all in a very different open space from that of say, the Noldor, who have been waiting for the other shoe to drop. It’s great. I really love this chapter.

Also like, to be clear, I’m not arguing for this as the 1-1 equivalent of what happened in Valinor, part of what’s interesting about humans vs elves is like—humans carry it right through! if the Helcaraxe was terrible, how much moreso the whittling-down in Dorthonion; and Beren as the endpoint of that doesn’t find a new country to settle and a new purpose in battle, he’s thrown straight from [hideous trials made endurable by pride + grief] into the dream sequence of the various quests, and then again into death, without any delay—I don’t necessarily count the interludes with Lúthien because that’s more like, regenerating the faculties he even needs to live, you know, rather than gaining some kind of established footing or time in which to prevaricate. It’s a very different destruction-for-renewal narrative from the Noldor’s in a lot of ways. But like w an echo.

Hmm do you think while Barahir was courting Emeldir he used to run into Andreth at Emeldir’s grandparents’ house and not. quite. understand why she was there. sitting by the fire, at noon, with the drapes shut. but he was too afraid to ask

A question I have about them

What did Beren do with his hand. Bet he wished he’d kept that

A random relevant line I like

~Their bedwas the heather and their roof the cloudy sky~

My preferred version, if there is more than one version of their story (or part of their story)

Im not saying Beren as Andreth and Aegnor’s secret baby is GOOD im just saying it’s FUNNY,

Favorite relationship(s)

Beren, Emeldir, Finrod, Gorlim, GRANDPARENTS IN LAW ADANEL AND BELEMIR no idk

Reaction to Tom Bombadil

“help” and then Tom Bombadil helps but his influence only extends to the blessed outskirts of Aeluin’s domain which is where they live anyway so like, thanks, Tom

[g0dtier]

THANK U!! To start: I'm 19yrs old. Ok well I started work a month ago and there was an older coworker there I found attractive. Not looks, just personality. Like damn he's amazing and kind and just a Good Person. Then a few days ago he asked for my Snapchat and I was like sure why not. Hes married with kids so I didn't think anything of it. His wife is Stunning too like hot damn. But then he like ?Seemed to be flirting ya know. Flirting. At me. Like. Why. How. WHY. so I was slightly concerned(1)

2) now he's just amazing really and I can see why his wife fell for him cuz that personality is The Best. And I'm pretty open and I always connect better with adults. Always. Even when I was a kid, all my friends were middle aged adults. Idk why. Prob cuz due to life I stopped being childish years ago. But anyway, after work, I was heading to the beach. He saw on my story and asked if he could come visit before he went to work again. Why not? It's public and I trust him and myself3) Btw did I mention he's fucking 40?? Yea. Anyway while at the beach he opened up about how he likes me and he doesn't know why but it's how he feels and he leaned in and kissed me and idk what to do. The kiss was so good and I kissed back. But at the same time WTF is happening. I could kiss him forever BUT he's married. And older. Even tho I like that. He said what happens next is up to me and he'll stop 100% no questions asked if I tell him nook. hm. first of all, i want you to know that i understand (and sort of have been in) your situation completely. but also, holy shit get the fuck out of there. now.

there is nothing wrong with your feelings. honestly ive had my fair share of crushes on older people, so lmfao i know what you mean. there is legit nothing wrong about your behavior in this situation, because you like him and this stuff happens, but imma just list a couple of things on why this dude is Not the person you feel he is and why his behavior is really, really scary. It’s not gonna be fun but please, im gonna go ahead and feel like you came to me because you (hopefully) value my honest opinion, so please hear me out.

You have known him for a month. He is 40 years old. This is legal, but ask yourself, even if he’s super funny/charming/caring/seems responsible, what kind of person would cheat on his wife and kids with a 19 year old colleague that he’s known for a month? Like I said, the fault here isn’t with you, but any person who legitimately acts this way is not as charming as he seems. Especially with him having multiple kids (im gonna guess at least one is around 10, 11 years old? youre less than twice that age). Parents should be responsible and know how creepy it is to cheat on your spouse with someone who’s literally barely legal.

He is your colleague. You have worked there for a month, I’m gonna go and guess he’s worked there for several years. He has authority over you, and not just in the “he’s been here longer”, as in “if you let him put you in a vulnerable situation he could literally ruin your fucking resume. If he’s good friends with the bossman, as soon as he feels in danger/you do something he doesn’t like, he could probably get you fired AND have the bossman write down a bad review for future companies who might do background checks. He could blackmail the fuck out of you if needed. Relationship with a colleague? Bad idea. Relationship with a significantly older colleague who has this kinda authority over you? No.

Again, I know you feel like his personality is the best and he probably wouldn’t do that, but he knows DAMN WELL he shouldn’t be trying to bed you. Nobody puts their wife, kids, job AND public rep as “not a fucking creep” on the line within a month without being damn confident that they won’t get caught. Hence the blackmail part above.

The whole “You can stop this at any time if we do this” is a ruse. You can’t. He has power over you.

The “I don’t know why I like you I just do” is also a ruse. He’s 40. He’s married. He is not some inexperienced 20yo who doesn’t understand his own feelings. If he’s still in the stage of “idk why i like u i just do so i cheated on my wife and kids to be with you on the side” at 40yo and married then there’s something mentally wrong with him.

Imagine if you went and took his offer. Aside from the vulnerable position he puts you in, imagine if you fully fell in love with him. I am 100% sure he’s not gonna make it public that he’s dating you. You will be the secret. Which will make you even more vulnerable, especially if you’re emotionally invested in him. You will be a 19yo in a secret relationship with your 40 year old colleague who also has a wife and kids. This is not a happy way to live. No matter how much you like him now, that kind of relationship is never worth it and he knows it and he does not care. If he felt like you deserved a healthy, happy relationship, he wouldn’t have kissed you because he knows he couldnt provide that if he tried.

Imagine IF, against all odds, he decided to give up his wife and kids to live a happy life with you. Imagine he dies at 60. You will be the 40 year old widow.

This is not a healthy situation, this is not a life you want to live, and he knows it anon. He’s so damn sure about his safety in this situation that he went this far within a month. His wife, kids and job will be gone if anyone finds out about this and still he did it. He’s sure he won’t get hurt because he knows he’s got you in the palm of his hand. Which is logical, and 100% not something you could do anything about, but it’s super fucked up of him to do.

This is probably not the answer you were looking for, but the only one I can give. I’m so sorry you’re in this situation. I know that you’re probably reading this and thinking it’s not true because he’s so sweet and caring and is giving you the time to think about it, so it doesn’t feel creepy, but please look at this situation from a objective point of view and see how creepy this is.

No respectable married adult would put their family and job on the line to have an affair with someone they’ve known for a month, no matter their age. His age just makes it even more shitty for you because you’re more vulnerable now than if he was your age.

Again, nothing in this situation is your fault. When I found out about how my situation was actually really bad, I blamed myself for not noticing it sooner and not “being more mature” or whatever, but it literally doesn’t matter. You’re not the one at fault here but there’s absolutely something wrong with him.

I’m going to bed now because i should’ve been in bed about an hour ago, but i couldn’t not respond to this after getting the 2nd message. I hope you’re ok, I hope you can maybe find a trusted person to talk this over with (not necessarily an authorative figure immediately, but someone you can earnestly talk to about how you feel) and I hope to god you’ll stay away (or even just friends if necessary) from him and stay safe. This can only go wrong and you probably realize this.

[kimatas]

Yes I totally agree w/ what u said about being multifandom!! My official Ateez bias is Seonghwa? but that is up for debate sfhkadgjl Like Yeosang highkey is up there too bc he's so funny but all of them have the capacity to steal that title tbh What do you think about their comeback?? Their album has been on repeat in my house 😌😌 And speaking of biases, what about jaemin/yangyang (or any other biases you wanna talk about like donghyun/yeosang etc lol) makes u happy? - 🍵anon

i think u should double bias seonghwa and yeosang<3 (just gotta push the yeosang agenda) and their cb is sooo good !! i havent listened to the album yet bc it always takes me 20 years to listen to albums but ive heard so many good things abt it🤧 ill probs listen to it in the next few days if i remember jgnkfd

my happiness let’s goooo

jaemin: he’s so like...loving?? whether it’s his super ngkjsngkjfsngkjsfngkfsjdgnk posts to czennies on bubble (idk how else to describe them he’s so cheesy) to him bugging the members w his clinginess, he just has so much love :D but i also laugh sm when he gets super petty kfsjgndkjfg

yangyang: he’s so?? idk but he’s a monthish younger than me and i cant say this abt many idols my age at all but it’s soooo easy picturing growing up w him in like middle/high school and uni bc whether it’s in videos or on insta (or weibo), he acts like a normal 19/almost 20yo boy who just happens to be an idol...like he may be exposed to cameras all the time but he feels like any other dude i could run into on campus and i love that it feels so comfortable

donghyun: eeeeeeeeeee im so bare minimum dude can breathe and i will literally cry over how cute he is...me watching golcha videos is kinda pathetic, esp when he comes onscreen😭 idk why but i love how he argues w the members, esp the googoos kfndk it’s so funny !! and watching him dance is just...........whew man i wish woollim let him do more w his dancing</3

yeosang: like u said: he’s so funny !! i like to describe my type as “annoying cute boys” and it kinda shocked me when i started watching ateez videos bc he was.......the Least Annoying out of all of them (i say annoying w love, most of my ults r annoying to their members😭) but he always says the right things at the right time and it’s so funnnyyy

pls talk to me abt ur biases🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺